Comprehensive Plan Update – Request for Proposals – City of New Franklin

PURPOSE

The Purpose of this Request for Proposals is to obtain competitive and cost-efficient proposals from qualified individuals or firms interested in carrying out a Comprehensive Plan Update for the City of New Franklin, Ohio. New Franklin first adopted a Comprehensive Plan in 2004. The Comprehensive Plan Update will serve as a guide in considering changes in policy, infrastructure, transportation, zoning and land use planning in the City of New Franklin.

BACKGROUND

New Franklin is located in northeast Ohio and is a city of approximately 14,000 residents across 27 square miles. Established as a city in 2006, New Franklin is home to the Portage Lakes State Park and a portion of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath. The City strives to balance economic development with rural preservation to assure financial security while maintaining rural character. Since the 2004 Comprehensive Plan, the City has added public water in certain areas, including in the commercial corridor on SR 93. By 2024 the City will have sewer lines in this area as well. A copy of the 2004 Comprehensive Plan can be found at http://newfranklin.org/index.php/comprehensive-plan.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The City of New Franklin requests proposals to lead the community in the preparation and adoption of a Comprehensive Plan Update. The City seeks a consultant that will guide the creation of a community vision, growth and development policies, and implementation strategies. The consultant will have the following responsibilities with the assistance and cooperation of City staff:
1. The overall management of the Comprehensive Plan process (within the pandemic context)
2. The inclusion of public participation (including public meetings and a citywide survey) and a steering committee in the planning process (within the pandemic context)
3. The analysis of existing conditions, documents, plans and policies
4. The creation and assessment of future development, city services, policies and planning alternatives (generally and/or area specific)
5. The preparation of all draft and final plan documents

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ELEMENTS

The scope of this project is to guide the preparation of a Comprehensive Plan Update that will act as a blueprint to direct New Franklin’s continued positive evolutionary change. The resulting plan should be both a physical and policy-based plan, provide implementation actions and strategies and include illustrative maps, tables and concept graphics. The Comprehensive Plan should integrate all of the City’s appropriate existing plans. Elements of the Comprehensive Plan Update should include, but need not be limited to:
1. Statement of purpose and a community vision
2. Comprehensive Plan Update process
3. General existing conditions including demographics, economy, zoning, land use, historic district/areas, transportation, parks and open space, etc.
4. Current land use analysis and future land use plan
5. Transportation assessment and thoroughfare and bike path/pedestrian plan
6. Recreation, open space and environmental assessment and plan
7. Identification and plans for priority areas of economic development, stabilization and redevelopment.
8. Implementation policies and framework

DELIVERABLE PRODUCTS

The consultant should provide 10 hard copies of the final Comprehensive Plan Update including color maps to the City upon adoption of the Plan and digital copies in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF. All data and information collected through the process shall also be provided in hard and digital copies. All relevant maps shall be provided in GIS format, including their associated data.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals shall be submitted to the City of New Franklin as noted below. There shall be ten hard copies of the proposal and one electronic copy. Proposals should include:
1. Cover letter
2. Statement of project understanding
3. Qualifications of firm/project team
4. Strategy and implementation plan
5. Services provided
6. Organization, staffing plan and approximated distribution of work hours
7. Timeline
8. References for at least three similar projects completed during the past eight years
9. Detailed fee proposal including a complete list of costs per task, expected reimbursable expenses and a total fee for the proposal. Each component of the work program should be itemized and hourly rates, travel, meetings, etc. should be included. Also, provide general charges for scope expansion during the contract period.

PROPOSAL DEADLINE

Proposals are due by Friday, December 3, 2021 at 4:00pm to:
City of New Franklin
Mayor’s Office
5611 Manchester Road
New Franklin, OH 44319

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Submittal evaluations will be done in accordance with the criteria and procedure defined herein. Firms selected for interviews will be chosen on the basis of their apparent ability to best meet the overall expectations of the City. The City reserves the right to reject any and all submittals. The following parameters will be used to evaluate the submittals (in no particular order of priority):
• Responsiveness of submittal to the RFP
• Basic knowledge of the community
• Understanding of the project and the objectives
• Experience integrating land use, transportation, redevelopment, economic development and implementation strategies
• Consensus building experience working with communities
• Necessary resources
• Required skills and demonstrated capability
• Cost estimate/range

Please direct questions regarding proposals to:
Katie Smith
Special Projects Coordinator
City of New Franklin
5611 Manchester Road
New Franklin, OH 44319
Email: ksmith@newfranklin.org
Phone: 330-882-4324